Stacking container



Au8- 26, 1958 G. c. HEIL 2,849,151

STACKING CONTAINER Filed Jan. 27, 1955 United States sTACKlNG CONTAINER Application January 27, 1955, Serial No. 484,419

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-97) The present invention relates to a novel type stacking container for storing long and heavy articles such as rolls or rollers which are used in divers industries, `for example, textile warp beamers, rolls used in producing and processing of paper, cellophane or other flexible sheet material; and the like.

In plants which produce paper, cellophane, or other flexible sheet material, it is often necessary to store the large and heavy rolls used in the fabricating machinery. Such an occasion may `arise when the producing or processing machines are shut down for cleaning or repairs. In addition, the plants usually keep on hand a reserve supply of various sizes and types of these'long and heavy rolls which have to be stored in stacked position.

It is essential that the rolls must be rotated at regular time intervals in order to prevent the formation of a permanent set or sag in the roll caused by the weight of the roll.

According to past practice, the rolls are stored in elongated rectangular wooden boxes. The rolls were supported on their end journals and were retained in position within the boxes to prevent roll movement. The boxes had wooden blocks at each end of the box on one face or panel of the box and were stored in a side by side relationship on the door. The blocks raised the box from the oor so that a fork of a truck hoist could be moved thereunder to lift the Vbox thus making it possible to move the boxes around. These boxes were open at the ends and the rolls were rotated by the use of suitable portable cranks which were positioned over the shaft ends.

This system presented many disadvantages. It always proved diicult, when the time arrived for rotating the rolls, to determine the exact degree of prior roll rotation within the box. Such a situation occurred because of several factors: diierent operators performed the rotating task, prior chalk marks indicating the degree of rotation were only partially visible or had become completely obliterated for one reason or another, or the ends of the boxes became so marked up after frequent rotation that it Was impossible to determine which marks were the ones to be used as guides. The greatest trouble in this respect was the physical strain on the operators who carried out the rotation task.

Another disadvantage was that the boxes could not be stacked. A great Ideal of valuable door space had to be utilized to store the rolls. The tiering or `stacking of these containers would be dangerously impractical because of the weight (4000 lb. roll) and instability of the stacking blocks affixed to the boxes. The rolls stored in the boxes are finely machined costly pieces and the risk of damaging the rolls was too great to attempt stacking the boxes to save floor space.

" atent O It is, therefore, one object of my invention to provide l It is another object of my invention to provide a novel Vice and improved container for long and heavy rolls which container will be iirmly locked in position when stacked with like containers.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a novel and improved container for long and heavy rolls which can be stacked and locked in place with like containers with the container resting in one of several possible rotated positions.

Another object of my invention is to provide a stacking container with external end flanges for housing long and heavy articles such as rolls used in divers industry which container when stacked in one of several possible rotated positions upon any one of the surfaces of a similar container will leave a clearance between containers and will be locked in place with respect to adjacent containers to prevent the flanges from sliding out of position with respect to one another.

It is another object of my invention to provide a stacking container for processing rolls used in industry which container has external end langes with locking means extending around the edges of the anges.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rectangular container for processing rolls as are used in the paper making industry which container can be easily rotated in increments and then stacked or restacked in its rotated position with like containers, similarly or nonsimilarly rotated, whereby the containers are locked in position and a clearance is left between the panels of adjacent containers.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a study of the following description and drawing in which:

Figure l is a perspective of the stacking container;

Figure 2 is a side view of one ofthe stacking pads which are affixed to the container;

Figure 3 is an end view showing three of the containers in stacked relationship; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view partially sectioned showing the chocks for retaining the roll in the center of the container.

Briey, my invention comprises a body frame having anged end sections. Chocks are provided within the body frame for retaining the roll or like article stored therein in the exact center of the container. Stacking or locking pads `are aixed to the flanged ends whereby the container may be stacked in any one of a number of possible rotated positions with like containers to lock the stacked containers in position and to leave a clearance between adjacent containers.

Referring now to the drawings, the stacking container A for storing processing rolls is shown in Figures l and 2. The processing roll or like article to be stored in the container A may be of any type, weight, and length. For example, the roll may be a 4000 1b. squeeze roll six feet in length as is used in cellophane producing and processing apparatus. It is to be understood that the use of the container is not limited to such rolls but may be used to store, crate or ship any long and heavy object.

The container A comprises a body frame made of metal, wood, plastic or other suitable material and includes a separate top panel 2 which is bolted or otherwise secured to a body frame 1 after roll 3 has been placed within the body frame 1. The inner sides of bottom panel e (Figure 4) of the body frame 1 and the top panel 2 are tted with suitable chocks d, a" (see Figure 4) which retain the roll in the exact center of the body frame 1. Although only one set of chocks is shown, it is preferred to include an additional set of chocks at each end of the body frame 1. The body frame may be of any shape or structure desired. For instance, instead of the panel box type body frame of Figure l, an open `sided rectangular frame may be used. In this latter instance the frame is formed of four corner bars of desired length which run lengthwise of the structure which bars are held together by suitable cross struts. Suitable chock assemblies are provided within the open framework for holding the roll in place within the open frame. The containers may also be of cylindrical shape. If desired, the ends of the body frame may be open rather than closed. i,

As seen in Figure 1, the frame 1 has flanges or end frames and 11 made of metal, plastic or other suitable material Welded or otherwise secured to the extreme ends of the body frame 1. In this instance, the end flanges 10 and 11, are in the form of rectangular frames which are welded or otherwise secured to the ends of the metal body frame 1. The shape of the flanges 10 and 11 may vary in accordance with the particular shape or design of the body frame. The flanges 10 and 11 may form integral parts of the container rather than separate units. When the containers are stacked, only the flanges of adjacent containers are in contact thus leaving a clearance be- 2 pads are affixed to the edges of each of the four sides of 3 the rectangular flanges 10, 11, each rectangular flange, in this instance having a total of eight stacking pads 13, 13 allixed thereto. It should be pointed out, however, that the pads need be positioned on opposite sides only of the container if 180 turning is all that is required.

The stacking or locking pads 13, 13 interlock with `stacking pads of like containers, when stacked together, to prevent lateral movement of the containers with respect to one another. Stacking or locking pads 13', 13 are also aflixed to the edges 14, 14 of anges 10, 11. Pads 13', 13' are at right angles to pads 13, 13 and prevent the containers in the stack from sliding longitudinally of one another especially if the stack is jostled by the fork lift during stacking and unstacking of the containers. As seen in Figure l, the stacking or locking pads are affixed to all four legs of the rectangular flanges 10, 11 whereby the container A may be stacked on any one of its four sides. This is important as the container must be rotated every so often for the reason mentioned above.

It should be pointed out that satisfactory stacking containers may be fabricated without the use of separate flanges 10, 11. The stacking pads may be affixed directly to the panels of the body frame since the pads may be of suliicient thickness to provide the necessary clearance between the containers when in stacked position whereby lifting forks or a hoist mechanism may be easily inserted between the containers,

As seen in Figure 3, container B is stacked atop container A, and container C is stacked atop container B. Container B is slightly out of vertical alignment with the bottom container A due to the offset interlocking nature of the teeth of containers A and B. Container C is in true vertical alignment with the bottom container B. Although the containers, when stacked, assume a zig-Zag vertical pattern, the stack is evenly balanced since every other container in the vertical stack is in true vertical alignment. Because of this zig-zag vertical stacking pattern, it is most important that the rolls be retained in the exact center of the box tol prevent the stack of containers from becoming unbalanced and toppling over. The centering chocks d, d are, therefore, an important part of the invention.

With my invention, the unstacking, rotating, and re- 'stacking of the containers may be done by the use of either a fork, platform, or crane supported sling thus eliminating the manual handling as heretofore required. With one method, a small mobile truck having a fork hoist or lift incorporated therewith may be used. The fork hoist is raised or lowered to the desired level and then inserted within the space between containers C and B. Container C may then easily be lifted and removed from the stack. The hoist is then lowered so that the container rests upon the floor. The fork is then partially retracted from under the container after which it is raised to tip over or rotate the container The fork is then fully extended under the container C and raised to replace the container in its rotated position atop container B. If all the containers are to be rotated, the rotated container C may be positioned on the floor in its rotated position and then container B may be removed from the stack and rotated in a similar manner as container A after which it is stacked atop container C. Container A may be then rotated and raised by the fork hoist to be stacked atop container B. The final vertical stacking order is then reversed with respect to the original stacking order of containers.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

l claim:

1. A stacking container for housing a long and heavy roll as is used in industry, said container comprising a rectangular body section, chocks within the body section for centrally positioning the roll, rectangular flange pieces afxed around each end of the. body section, a first series of projecting teeth pads afxed to each of the four edges of the rectangular flange pieces which teeth lie in a direction lengthwise of the container, and a second series of projecting toothed pads affixed to each edge of the rectangular flange pieces which pads lie at substantially right angles to the first series of pads, said first and second series of projecting teeth pads being mounted so as to interlock with similarly positioned teeth pads on like containers whereby the container is capable of being retained in locked position on any one of its four sides upon any one of the locking pad surfaces of a like container.

2. A rectangular stacking container for housing a long and heavy roll as is used in industry, said container comprising a bottom panel, side panels affixed to the bottom panels, a separate top panel adapted to be secured to the side panels, a chock aflixed to the bottom panel for centrally positioning the roll within the container, a chock affixed to the top panel for centrally positioning the roll, rectangular flange pieces affixed around each end of the body section, a first series of projecting teeth pads affixed to each edge of the four sides of the rectangular flange pieces which pads lie in a direction With their teeth extending lengthwise of the container, and a second series of projecting teeth pads affixed to each edge of the rectangular flange pieces which pads lie with their teeth extending at substantially right angles to the teeth of the first series of pads, said first and second series of projecting teeth pads being mounted so as to interlock with similarly positioned pads on like containers whereby the container is capable of being retained in locked position when stacked on any one of its four sides upon any one of the teeth pad surfaces of a like container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 993,866 Page May 30, 1911 1,342,909 Hope June 8, 1920 1,514,512 Fisher Nov. 4, 1924 1,640,368 Obetz et al. Aug. 30, 1927 (Other references on following page) Clement Apr. 19, 1955 6 Metcalf Ian. 31, 1956 Grecok July 3, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 19, 1924 Denmark Dec. 27, 1945 

